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A Living  Wage  for  Working  Women  of  the 
Post-War  World: 


ONE  ESSENTIAL  FACTOR  IN  RECONSTRUCTION 


MINIMUM  WAGE  LAWS 

IN  EVERY  STATE 


September,  1918.  Minimum  Wage  Law  for  the  District  of  Columbia  Signed 

by  President  Wilson. 


November,  1918.  Resolution  of  the  Associated  Merchants  and  Manufac- 
turers of  New  York  State: 

“We  Favor  the  Creation  of  a State  Minimum  Wage  Commission.” 


HD 

6061.2 

.116 

L585 

1919 


(TV  3 ¥ 


https://archive.org/details/livingwageforwor01nati 


Why  1919  is  the  Year  for  Minimum  Wage  Legislation: 

(a)  Because  investigation  shows  that  while  wages  have  been  sen- 
sationally high  in  some  wartime  industries,  the  compensation 
of  women  in  other  occupations  has  been  wholly  insufficient  to 
balance  the  vastly  increased  cost  of  living. 

(b)  Because  the  experience  of  the  modern  world  has  been  that 
wages  fall  after  war,  while  prices  continue  high. 

(c)  Because  over  forty  State  Legislatures  will  be  in  session  in 
1919. 

Cost  of  Living  Constantly  Climbing: 

Per  Cent,  of  Increase  in  Retail  Prices,  August,  1918,  Above  De- 


cember,  1914.f 

Food 

Clothing 

All  Items 

Baltimore 

83. 

111. 

80. 

Boston 

61. 

118. 

65. 

Buffalo 

59. 

89. 

56. 

Chicago 

69. 

107. 

64. 

Cleveland 

48. 

70. 

46. 

Detroit 

56. 

84. 

58. 

Norfolk,  Va. 

78. 

99. 

74. 

New  York  City 

65. 

103. 

62. 

Philadelphia 

54. 

108. 

67. 

Portland,  Me. 

68. 

85. 

62. 

Some  Typical  Wages  of  Working  Women: 

Even  in  wartime,  when  the  cost  of  living  was  constantly  climb- 
ing, recent  investigations  have  shown  the  following  significant  fig- 


ures : 


Yearly 

Washington* 

Baltimore 

Under  $300 

22% 

15% 

Under  $400 

46% 

48% 

Under  $500 

64% 

84% 

W eekly 
Under  $ 8. 

39% 

31% 

Under  $ 9. 

53% 

65% 

Under  $ 10. 

60% 

76% 

fMonthly  Review,  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics,  October,  1918,  Pp.  112-119. 
Decimals  dropped. 

*Monthly  Review  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics,  February  1918,  based  on  a 
study  of  600  working  women. 

**Report  on  100  Wage  Earning  Girls  and  Women  in  Baltimore.  National  Consumers’ 
League  May,  1918. 


4 


What  Business  Men  Think  of  Minimum  Wage  Legislation: 

Testimony  of  Mr.  Edward  A.  Filene  of  Boston  before  the  U. 
S.  Senate  and  House  Committees  on  the  minimum  wage  bill  for  the 
District  of  Columbia,  April  1918 : 

“We  have  had  the  minimum  wage  in  our  concern  since 
March  1,  1912,  and  the  important  thing  about  it  is  that, 
relatively,  the  cost  of  the  wages  as  compared  with  other  costs  of 
running  the  business  has  not  increased,  but  on  the  contrary,  has 
decreased  . . . We  have  found  that  there  was  an  enormous 

advantage  in  adopting  the  minimum  wage.  . . . It  is  not  a 

question  of  philanthropy;  it  is  a question  of  good  business. 

We  can  easily  get  a reasonable  response  out  of  any  girl 
who  is  well  and  who  is  free  from  the  daily  worries.  A decent 
wage,  then,  seems  to  us  the  basis  of  intelligent  work,  and  we 
feel  that  the  minimum  wage  merely  provides  the  machinery 
by  which  joint  action  is  secured  on  the  part  of  all  in  a trade.” 

Of  this  testimony,  the  Report  of  the  U.  S.  Senate  Committee 
said: 

“The  favorable  opinion  expressed  by  the  employers  in  the 
District  of  Columbia  was  confirmed  by  the  testimony  of  a 
prominent  Boston  employer,  Mr.  A.  Filene,  whose  firm  owns 
one  of  the  largest  specialty  houses  in  the  world,  employing 
3,000  workers  and  doing  a business  of  $14,000,000  per  yerr. 
This  firm  has  had  a minimum  wage  in  operation  during  the  p<..st 
six  years.  The  results  of  their  experience  are  typical  of  gen- 
eral and  world-wide  experience  with  the  working  of  a minimum 
wage. 

The  payment  of  higher  wages  has  stimulated  the  efficiency 
of  both  the  management  and  the  workers.  It  has  resulted  in 
improvements  in  organization  and  in  methods  of  training  em- 
ployees on  the  part  of  the  management,  while  with  higher 
wages  the  employees  have  improved  in  health  and  intelli- 
gence.” 

Testimony  of  Mr.  Charles  J.  Columbus,  Secretary  of  the  Mer- 
chants and  Manufacturers  Association  of  the  District  of  Columbia : 

“We  like  the  commission  plan;  we  like  this  form  of 
arbitration,  so  to  speak;  we  like  this  method  whereby,  as  con- 
ditions change,  either  side  can  go  to  this  commission  and  seek 


5 


a rearrangement  of  the  wage  scale — that  is,  a minimum.  . . . 
I come  here  this  morning  to  tell  you  that  the  Merchants  and 
Manufacturers  Association  is  absolutely  unopposed  to  this 
legislation  and  favors  it.” 

Of  this  statement  of  an  important  Employers  Association 
the  Senate  Committee  said: 

‘ ‘ Their  approval  means  that  such  legislation  is  recognized 
as  being  based  on  sound  business  principles,  because  it  makes 
for  a more  efficient  and  more  contented  labor  force.  It  also 
protects  the  fair  and  enlightened  employer  from  underbidding 
competitors.” 

Why  Minimum  Wage  Legislation  is  not  an  Experiment: 

Spread  of  the  Movement. 

The  Report  of  the  Senate  Committee  states : 

“This  is  not  a new  or  revolutionary  measure.  Laws  of 
this  character  have  been  in  effect  in  the  United  States  as  well 
as  in  England  and  Australia  long  enough  to  prove  their  effects 
in  actual  practice.  Within  the  past  six  years  12  States  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  country  have  enacted  minimum- wage  laws: 
Arizona,  Arkansas,  California,  Colorado,  Kansas,  Massa- 
chusetts, Minnesota,  Nebraska,  Oregon,  Utah,  Washington, 
and  Wisconsin.* 

“Brief  History  of  the  Acts. 

Australasia: 

“The  first  law  embodying  the  principle  of  the  minimum 
wage  was  enacted  in  New  Zealand  25  years  ago.  From  there 
it  spread  gradually  to  the  other  Australian  States,  and  was 
adopted  by  the  Australian  Commonwealth  in  1904  for  disagree- 
ments extending  beyond  State  lines. 

“In  1896  Victoria,  the  largest  industrial  State  of  Australia, 
passed  the  first  act  providing  special  boards  to  fix  minimum 
wages  in  different  trades.  Beginning  with  a few  sweated  in- 
dustries, the  movement  has  grown  by  successive  special  acts 

*In  September  1918,  the  District  of  Columbia  minimum  wage  law  was  passed  by  Con- 
gress. 


6 


until,  in  1916,  there  were  almost  150  trades  or  occupations  in 
which  minimum  wages  were  set  by  special  wage  boards. 

Great  Britain: 

“The  same  general  plan  was  followed  by  Great  Britain  in 
the  trade  boards  act  of  1909.  Experience  there  has  been 
similar  to  that  of  Victoria,  the  successful  operation  of  the  mini- 
mum-wage system  in  the  first  four  industries  scheduled  lead- 
ing to  the  inclusion  of  four  additional  trades  in  1913,  and  to 
the  official  proposal  to  include  additional  trades  at  this  time. 
( i . e.,  April  1918.) 

“Such  an  extension  of  the  minimum-wage  system,  as  a war 
measure,  at  a highly  critical  period  of  the  war,  speaks  louder 
than  words.  In  the  opinion  of  thoughtful  statesmen  in  Eng- 
land this  legislation  is  to  be  extended,  because  it  has  proved 
its  value,  and,  in  a word,  it  works.” 

‘ ‘ Success  of  the  Acts : 

“ Minimum- wage  legislation  has  been  on  trial  both  in  this 
country  and  abroad  long  enough  to  disprove  the  fears  enter- 
tained as  to  its  operation.  It  has  been  asserted,  for  instance, 
that  the  setting  of  a minimum  wage  would  lead  to  a general 
levelling  of  wages,  so  that  the  minimum  would  become  the 
maximum.  But  special  investigations  have  proved  that  after 
the  minimum  was  set,  the  percentage  of  women  receiving  a 
higher  rate  remained  the  same  as  before  or  even  increased.  The 
expectation  that  costs  would  be  greatly  increased  has  likewise 
proved  ill-founded.” 

What  Becomes  of  the  Workers  Who  Cannot  Earn  the  Legal  Minimum 
Wage? 

On  this  point  the  Senate  Report  says : 

“The  fear  has  often  been  expressed  that  if  higher  wages 
are  paid  only  the  most  efficient  workers  will  be  kept  and  the 
others  dismissed.  The  experience  of  the  Filene  firm  disproves 
this  fear.  Working  girls  when  better  paid  have  responded 
to  intelligent  management  and  have  improved  sufficiently  to  be 
able  to  earn  the  increased  wage.  Higher  pay  has  therefore  not 
led  to  any  wholesale  dismissal.” 


7 


What  the  Courts  Have  Said: 

In  April  1917,  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  de- 
clared the  Oregon  Minimum*  Wage  law  constitutional. 

Following  this  decision,  the  Supreme  Court  of  Minnesota  in 
December,  1917,  upheld  the  constitutionality  of  the  Minnesota  law 
and  in  September,  1918,  the  Supreme  Court  of  Massachusetts  up- 
held the  Massachusetts  statute. 

Why  Is  Legislation  Needed? 

Three  Ways  are  Suggested  for  Raising  Women’s  Wages : 

1.  — The  voluntary  action  of  the  employers.  This  method  has 
so  far  failed  to  insure  living  wages  to  a large  percentage  of  workers. 
There  are  no  standards  by  which  wages  are  fixed. 

2.  — The  organization  of  the  workers. 

In  many  low-paid  occupations,  women  workers  have  not  suc- 
ceeded in  forming  effective  organizations. 

3.  — Legislation. 

This  method  has  proved  the  only  way  to  guarantee  a living  wage 
to  workers,  especially  in  unorganized  trades. 

What  the  Best  Minimum  Wage  Laws  Provide: 

What  to  Copy : 

The  best  laws  provide  for  a permanent  wage  commission,  with 
subordinate  wage  boards  for  separate  trades  or  occupations. 
These  boards  consist  of  representatives  of  employers,  employees, 
and  of  the  general  public.  After  careful  investigation  of  the  cost 
of  living,  such  boards  recommend  to  the  Commission  minimum  wage 
rates  to  meet  the  necessities  of  life  and  to  maintain  health  and  wel- 
fare. The  Commission  then,  after  public  hearings,  promulgates 
the  legal  minimum  rates. 

This  procedure  has  been  adopted  in  substance  by  eight  states 
and  the  District  of  Columbia,  and  should  be  followed  in  all  subse- 
quent legislation. 

What  to  Avoid : 

The  laws  of  Massachusetts  and  Nebraska  provide  that  the 
rulings  of  the  Commission  shall  be  only  recommendatory.  In 


8 


practice  this  does  not  make  for  uniform  enforcement  of  the  law  and 
all  future  minimum  wage  statutes  should  be  compulsory,  as  they 
are  in  all  other  states. 

The  laws  of  Utah  and  Arkansas  should  not  be  followed  in  pro- 
viding a flat  rate  per  day  for  all  employments,  instead  of  having 
rates  set  by  the  separate  wage  hoards,  based  on  the  cost  of  living  in 
a given  locality.  This  is  obviously  a more  elastic  and  fairer  system 
of  setting  rates. 

How  the  Minimum  Wage  Works  in  Practice: 

Summary  of  Most  Important  Decrees. 

The  most  inclusive  rates  have  been  set  in  California,  Wash- 
ington, Oregon,  Kansas  and  Massachusetts. 

California. 

In  California,  the  minimum  rates  in  the  industry  employing  most 
women  in  the  state,  that  is  fruit  and  vegetable  canning,  were  raised  in 
May,  1918. 

Fruit  and  Vegetable  Canning : For  experienced  women  (i.  e.  after 
3 weeks’  employment)  on  time  work,  not  less  than  20  cents  per  hour; 
inexperienced  women  and  minors  not  less  than  16  cents  per  hour.  Piece 
rates  for  preparing  different  fruits  range  from  121^  cents  to  50  cents 
per  100  pounds ; lower  rates  specified  for  smaller  amounts.  In  preparing 
tomatoes,  rates  are  set  per  12  quarts.  For  adult  women,  work  over  8 
hours  in  any  one  day  or  over  six  days  in  one  week  to  be  paid  not  less 
than  one  and  a quarter  times  regular  rate ; work  over  12  hours  in  any 
24,  to  be  paid  not  less  than  double  regular  time  or  piece  rates.  Minors 
may  not  be  employed  more  than  8 hours  a day  or  48  hours  a week. 

Fruit  and  Vegetable  Packing:  $10  per  week  for  experienced  work- 
ers, $8  for  inexperienced  workers.  Pay  for  over  8 hours  or  6 days, 
same  as  above. 

Mercantile  Establishments : Ranging  from  $6  to  $10  per  week 

according  to  age  and  experience.  Special  rates  for  learners  under  18 
years,  between  18  and  20  years  and  over  20  years;  women  deemed  ex- 
perienced after  employment  ranging  from  eighteen  months  to  two 
years,  according  to  age. 

Fish  Camming  Industry.  $10  per  week  of  48  hours  for  adult  wo- 
men or  minors.  If  employed  less  than  48  hours,  not  less  than  25  cents 


9 


per  hour.  Work  over  8 hours  in  one  day  to  be  paid  not  less  than  one 
and  a quarter  times  the  rate  paid  during  regular  time;  work  on 
seventh  consecutive  day  in  one  week  to  be  paid  not  less  than  one  and  a 
half  times  rate  paid  during  regular  time.  Minors  may  not  be  employed 
more  than  8 hours  a day  or  48  hours  a week. 

Laundry  and  Dry  Cleaning:  Ranging  from  $8  to  $10;  women 

deemed  experienced  after  18  months. 

General  and  Professional  Offices : Ranging  from  $7  to  $10 ; women 
deemed  experienced  after  employment  ranging  from  one  year  to  18 
months,  according  to  age. 

Unskilled  and  Unclassified  Occupations:  $9.60  for  a 48  hour  week 
or  20  cents  per  hour  for  experienced  women  (i.  e.  after  3 weeks  em- 
ployment) ; $7.50  for  a 48  hour  week  or  16  cents  per  hour  for  inexper- 
ienced women  or  minors. 

Manufacturing:  $10  for  a 48  hour  week  or  25  cents  per  hour  for 
less  than  48  hours  for  experienced  women  or  minors;  $7.50  to  $9  for 
a 48  hour  week  or  20  cents  to  23  cents  per  hour  for  less  than  48  hours 
for  learners,  according  to  age  and  experience.  Workers  deemed  ex- 
perienced after  employment  ranging  from  6 to  9 months,  according  to 
age.  Special  rate  per  hour  for  women  employed  on  home  work. 

Oregon. 

In  Oregon,  minimum  rates  were  raised  in  June,  1918. 

Mercantile  Establishments : $11.10  for  a 50  hour  week  in  the  city 
of  Portland  or  a 54  hour  week  in  the  rest  of  the  state. 

Manufacturing ; Personal  Service,  Public  Housekeeping,  Telephone 
or  Telegraph  Establishments ; and  Laundries : $11.61  for  a 54  hour 
week. 

Office  Work:  $48  a month  for  a 51  hour  week  in  the  city  of 

Portland  or  a 54  hour  week  in  the  rest  of  the  state. 

Time  and  a half  for  over  time. 

Adult  apprentices,  ranging  from  $7.20  a week  to  $9.60  at  the  end 
of  8 months  to  1 year,  which  is  the  longest  term  of  apprenticeship. 
For  minors  three  months  counts  as  one  in  the  apprenticeship  of  an 
adult.  When  18,  if  experienced,  workers  must  receive  minimum  adult 
wage. 


10 


Washington. 

In  Washington,  minimum  rates  were  raised  in  September,  1918, 
effective  November,  1918. 

Any  Occupation,  Trade,  or  Industry:  $13.20  during  the  period  of 
the  war. 

Previous  rates  were  as  follows: 

Factories:  $8.90  per  week  for  experienced  workers  over  18  years, 
$6  under  18  years. 

Mercantile  Establishments : Ranging  from  $6  to  $10  per  week,  ac- 
cording to  age  and  experience. 

Laundries  and  Dye-works:  Ranging  from  $6  to  $9. 

Telegraph  and  Telephone  Service:  Ranging  from  $6  to  $9. 

Office  Work:  Ranging  from  $6  to  $10. 

Hotel,  Restaurant  and  Lunch  Room  Workers  (except  Waitresses) : 
$7.50  per  week  if  over  18. 

Detailed  rulings  govern  the  minimum  pay  of  apprentices.  In  No- 
vember, 1917,  the  minimum  rates  for  minors  between  16  and  18  years 
were  raised  from  $6  to  $7  in  various  of  these  occupations. 

Kansas. 

In  Kansas,  the  first  wage  rulings  became  effective  in  1918. 

Mercantile  Establishments : $8.50  per  week  for  experienced  women. 
Apprentices,  $6  for  the  first  6 months  and  $7  for  the  second  6 months, 
after  which  they  are  deemed  experienced  workers.  Minors,  $5  per 
week,  rising  to  $5.50  after  the  first  6 months  and  $6  after  one  year. 

Laundries:  $8.50  for  a 54  hour  week  for  experienced  women. 
Workers  deemed  experienced  after  6 months.  $6.50  for  learners. 

Telephone  Operators:  $7  to  $9  for  a 48  hour  week  after  one  year’s 
service,  according  to  the  size  of  the  city.  Ranging  from  $6  to  $8  dur- 
ing the  first  year. 

Factories  (Proposed) : $11  for  a 48  hour  week  for  experienced 
women.  Deemed  experienced  after  6 months.  $7  to  $9  for  learners 
according  to  experience. 


11 


Massachusetts. 

In  Massachusetts,  minimum  rates  were  set  for  the  following  indus- 
tries in  1918: 

Wien’s  Clothing  and  Raincoat  Factories:  $9  per  week  for  exper- 
ienced women  of  ordinary  ability  18  or  over.  Workers  deemed  ex- 
perienced after  one  year. 

Wien’s  Furnishings  Factories:  $9  per  week  for  experienced  women 
of  ordinary  ability.  Deemed  experienced  after  52  weeks. 

Wluslin  Underwear,  Petticoat,  Apron,  Kimono,  Women’s  Neckwear 
and  Children’s  Clothing  Occupation:  $9  per  week  for  experienced 

employees  of  ordinary  ability  18  or  over.  Deemed  experienced  after 
52  weeks  in  needle  trades,  26  weeks  of  which  have  been  in  the  fac- 
tory in  which  the  worker  is  for  the  time  being  employed. 

Retail  Wlillinery  Occupation:  $10  per  week  for  experienced  em- 

ployees of  ordinary  ability  19  or  over.  Deemed  experienced  after  4 
seasons. 

Special  rates  are  set  for  inexperienced  workers. 

The  following  industries  were  covered  by  minimum  wage  rates  be- 
fore 1918:  Brush  Industry,  Laundry,  Retail  Stores,  Women’s  Cloth- 
ing Factories. 

In  addition  to  the  rates  briefly  summarized  above,  most  of  the 
states  have  special  regulations  governing  issuance  of  licenses  to  per- 
sons crippled  by  age  or  otherwise,  who  may  be  paid  less  than  the  mini- 
mum rate.  In  various  state  licenses  are  required  permitting  lower 
wages  for  apprentices  or  learners.  In  order  to  guard  against  under- 
cutting the  legal  rate,  the  proportion  of  such  apprentices  or  learners  to 
the  total  number  of  workers  is  usually  limited. 


NATIONAL  CONSUMERS’  LEAGUE 

289  FOURTH  AVENUE 

NEW  YORK  CITY 


Date  Due 


$ZSfr6S600CI 


sauBjqn  ZjiSJSAiun  Q^nQ 


